Comments

I’ve seen comments on other sites about packing plates vertically is bad idea: then why do manufacturers pack them that way for sale? I too use dish towels and washcloths to wrap and I also use socks for glassware before putting in wine boxes. Small sports socks are also great for packing the lightbulbs removed from lamps. Just wish I could find a great way to pack lampshades…seems mine always seem to get smushed no matter how carefully I pack them!

Really clever tip! Last time I moved it was a great disaster and I had a box full of broken plates when I finished unpacking. Definitely NOT a good idea to pile all your plates in one box with no dividing between each of them. It was not such a problem, because I made a lovely mosaic table from the broken pieces, and also bought new beautiful plates, that I really like. I’m moving again and this time I’ll pay more attention on packing. Thank you for this great idea!

If you need packing paper without dealing with the ink of printed newspapers, go to your local newspaper office. Often times they have remnant rolls of newsprint free for the asking. Ours limits us to 2 rolls, but one remnant roll goes a long way.

thank you so much, will pass this on to friends,wish i
i heard of this years ago ,recycle ,after unpacking there
are lots of disposable plate for the moving crew ie…
family and friends who show up to help . also if you have
enough extra plates , you can order take out or delivery
do dishes to wash, only if you want to!!

If you use the great idea of using plastic plates between your regular plates .when you get to your new home you can use the plastic plates for serving your meals in the next few meals while your getting settled .. You have two purposes .

Don’t know if this will help anyone, but while trying to figure away to wrap up some large platters, we were having delivered pizza. The large pizza box is a prefect fit for large platters and so is the medium and small ones.

Definitely some great ideas. Keep in mind how you put your dishes into the moving boxes as well. Standing your plates on edge actually makes them stronger and less likely to break than just laying them flat.

Handy tip… For the naysayers, I would suggest the 3 R’s – Reduce, reuse, recycle. Instead of throwing these in landfill, store for re-use. At the end of their life, they can go to a recycler. Many are now taking clean styrofoam.

My mom was a hoarder. I don’t have to purchase foam plates to do this—–merely use some of the stuff that is already on hand. If it lasts that long, I won:t have to worry about unpacking it in my lifetime and it will be perfectly safe forever! Thanks ya’ll!!!

Great tip! Something we did when we moved was to wrap them in dishtowels and put them in a cooler. We have 2 hard-sided coolers, i figured we have to move them anyways might as well put stuff in them. Everything made it in one piece!

I just moved from Charleston, SC to New Mexico. 6×12 U-haul trailer pulled by my Durango. Packed myself in U-haul boxes. Bought them in packs of 15 – makes them cheaper. U-Haul gives free month of storage when you get there. My 3 dogs stayed in hotels with me the whole way. Cheapest way to go. Plants? I would give to neighbors. I did give away a few things that didn’t fit. Used discount movers on both ends to load and unload trailer. Thought this might help. Cost of trailer: 500 bucks for 6 days.

Heidi,
We just moved this summer too. Not as far as you though! I never would have thought of foam plates!!! I did use towels and washcloths! Which worked well for our small move. We were even so blessed as to have plate packing sleeves to put our china in! (Never would have purchased it myself, but it was a pass it on moving gift! What a blessing!)

you might want to refer your clients to YouTube–there are several very good videos on packing china, etc which were done by moving companies, presumably for their employees. I searched under ‘packing china’. I recently moved cross country and did my own packing, with movers loading their van and I did not have any cracking or breakage, although the van was stacked floor to ceiling with furniture and boxes. Our mover referred us to a local company that sells boxes and packing paper very reasonably [interestingly, Home Depot and Lowes had competitive prices for the standard size boxes].

that’s an interesting tip…another thing to do, once you have your dishes packed and you’re going to be putting them in a box, place the plates on their side like you’re putting books on a bookshelf (use this trick for plates and bowls only). tightly pack the box to prevent any “wiggle room” and go in tiers in the box, in between the tiers, add some of the packing paper..once you get to cups you have them setting upright.

I did this the last time I moved and it worked great! Another thing I like to do (sorry if it has already been mentioned) is use socks for packing delicate glassware. I still use other packing in the box as well.